regular stuff...

After watching the movie Me and You and Everyone We Know last weekend I've found myself turning my attention more to the ordinary, and I've seen some really beautiful things.

While watching the World Cup final between France and Italy in a Peruvian restaurant, I saw several hispanic kids running around. All I could think was, "look at all those new U.S. citizens."

Later that night while at some friends' apartment, sitting alone while one friend cooked some food for the other's boyfriend, I saw on the other side of their courtyard and young man, probably younger than me sitting on his stoop watching his young daughter play in the grass. He looked tired. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out what I thought was a cell phone. Soon enough though I saw that it was no phone he had, but a harmonica with which he put on a beautiful concert for one tiny admirer. I couldn't hear the music because I was on the inside looking out, but judging by the response of his daughter, I think I was in the presence of the greatest harmonica player living today. The concert was short lived, as most truly great things I suppose. He quickly put it away when his wife and their brand-new-not-one-day-old daughter came out of the apartment. (I know the age of the new baby because my friends went out to meet their neighbors. When seeing the little-bitty one they asked, "How old is she?" and the mom responded "not even a day.")

A few days later as I was going to work a car passed me at an intersection; a beige Dodge Intrepid, similar to my Granny's. It had a rather large American flag magnet on the driver-side door positioned just a few inches below the window through which I saw an elderly Hispanic man. He is more patriotic than I've ever been. Usually when I see big flags on cars I get angry, this time I smiled.

Just last night at a local bar / restaurant I saw an elderly couple sitting and eating. I rarely feel cool enough to be at this place, so I wondered if they felt out of place. Maybe they did and were strong enough to get over it. Maybe they didn't because they just don't care anymore. Maybe they never cared. At any rate they were there eating and I thought that was great.

On my walk home I passed the retirement home that is next to my building, and I saw an ambulance and a fire truck. Its not at all uncommon. They never seem to be in a hurry though. All lights and no sirens. Each time I see them I wonder if one of the elderly folks who could have been at Rojo with me is now dead in the back of that ambulance. It's not a great thought, but unfortunately I guess death is ordinary too.